Stopper remover



J. H. MILLER TOPPER REMOVER Filed Aug. 14, 1940 JbH/vb zzvefm Gnu/ Patented Feb. 22, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,342,156 I I I s'rorrnit REMOVER John Henry Miller, Baltimore, Md. Application August 14, 1940, Serial No. 352,541

2 Claims.

This invention refers to devices for removing the corks or stoppers from champagne or liquor bottles and more particularly to a combination cork-screw and cork remover. It has among its objects. to provide a device of this nature that will remove the cork-screw and cork attached to one another; that will enable the cork-screw to be used in the conventional manner and then permit the cork to be removed without breaking or mutilating it further; that will enable the user to hold the bottle from which the cork is to be removed in an efiective manner that will also prevent the gassed contents from sprouting out excessively and otherwise causing inconvenience; that will enable the cork in a bottle to be more easily and quickly removed; that will the hands of the user by reason of its manner of protecting the mouth of the bottle and restraint oifered to the effusive emission of the liquids ejected from it. Still another important object is to remove the cork from the bottle in such a way as to cover it up or hide it, effectively from observation that theusers may not see its condition at the time of the dispensing of the champagne or liquid; a further object of the invention is to prevent breakage ofcorks during uncorking and their passage into the contents of the bottle, and also to prevent Waste of the liquid; a further object of the invention is to provide for the removal of the cork without shaking up the contents of the bottle.

Many other objects will become apparent as the invention is more fully set forth.

The usual manner of opening champagne or liquid bottles is by removing the cork with a conventional corkscrew. The corkscrew frequently and seriously damages the cork and may allow pieces to fall into the liquid or be ejected out into the room. There is no control of the liquid which is usually under pressure of ferment gases. with the result that the user and his neighbors may suffer from an unexpected spraying. At the same time the unprotected neck of the bottle may break and cause injury and damage. In this invention, the corkscrew is encompassed with a hood that mounts over the neck portion of the bottle that permits the corkscrew to be screwed into the cork. The corkscrew is placed in the cork and left there, while another operating handle in the hood is rotated slowly and propels the corkscrew upwards to remove it with its cork to which it is fastened- The hood cov ering the mouth and neck of the bottle allows the cork to come out of the bottle into it and smother any ebullition of gaseous liquid that efiuses out. The hood does this through the employment of an internal screw threaded in the opposite direction to that of the helical turns of the corkscrew, engaging with a special threaded shank within it that turns readily and forces the corkscrew out of the bottle with the cork attached to it. The device is of such a form as to make it cooperate with the bottle aesthetically and practically and of the type convenient for manual use. It is applied to the bottle readily and with an attractive operation that adds to the value of the contents physically and in the eyes of the user, while protecting him against spilling accidents. 0

In the drawing attached, an example of this invention is portrayed in which; v

Figure 1 is an elevational view partly in sec-'- tion of a cork remover embodying this invention; the cork is in the position of being removed from the bottle; q

Figure 2 is a view in elevation of the cork remover in starting position, with its parts partly in section to indicate its internal and external appearance.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the cork remover as seen from above; and

Figure 4 is a plan View of the remover as seen from underneath.

' Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the drawing.

In the structure indicated in the drawing, l represents the covering hood of the cork remover with its external surface uniformly tapered slightly in a downwardly direction to cover the mouth and neck of the bottle and to be more readily secured in the hands of the user when removing corks from bottles. Internally the casing is hollow and bell-like from the open mouthed bottom portion 2 tothe neck 3 of the casing. The neck is internally screw-threaded at 8' in a direction opposite to that of the corkscrew helix 4 used with it. A propulsion member 5 with. a handle 6 transversely arranged with respect to the longitudinal axis of the device, has its shank o'l' screw-threaded to engage and operate'in the threaded portion 8, so that it may be moved up and down through the hood longitudinally. The shank has a passage 9 through it longitudinally in which the stem in of the corkscrew helix passes freely. to permit the rotation of the propulsion member without turning at the same time. A conventional handle I I also transversely arranged is fastened and locked securely to the stem of the corkscrew for the purpose of operating the corkscrew into the cork in the usual manner and then in addition as a bumper against which the larger handle 8 can push when it is turned to unscrew the propulsion member from the hood I. As the propulsion member is unscrewed from the covering hood, it raises the whole corkscrew together with the cork l2 attached to it, since the hood rests on the rim or neck of the bottle to provide the desirable action for the purpose. The removal of the cork is done without any necessary shaking of the bottle or difficult handling o'f'the bottle, since a direct pull on the corkfby'the userv is avoided, with its consequent dangers and unexpected or sudden results. This removal is done under the gradual and powerful lifting power of a.screw that affords no chance .for spilling or inconvenient placing and holding of the "bottle. It can be. noted .thatthe operation 'or rotation of thei'han'dlelll vinits operating direction will cause the downward or advancing .movement of the corkscrew into the cork. "The rotation 'of the handle '6 afterwards, in the same direction, will wind thethreaded element'l in'the hood threads B arid cause the upward movement of the shank withiits handle Band its contact and pressure against the handle H so as'tolift the latter with its cork screw .and bring the cork out of the bottle. When the bottle'is uncorke'd, its contents are,obstructed by the .neck of thelhood and any tendency to squirt upwards onthe user is directed away .fromhim or retained in'thehood.

:Shoul'dthe bottle break under the action of the uncorking, the neck of the bottle is covered and held by the hood andprevents damage and injury to the user or surrounding objects. .Since the hood has appreciablespace above the bottle, the spilled liquids do not necessarily :have .to be wastedas-they arelheld-in the hood-and returned to the bottle when the gaseous pressure is dissipated. Should the corkscrew be blownoutof the bottle with force, it willbe prevented from ejectionfrom thehoodby a ring or band- I 6 above the helix, striking :the restricted portion l3 of .the passage l4 where the stem passes through the larger handlefi of the propulsion 'member 5. A metal collar I1 is set in the :handleli to provide for a more effective stoppingof this part, under such situations. By having the .lower handle 8 'largerzit permits the user to overspan the smaller one of the corkscrew with his hand, and rotate it the:mouth of "same, and serves to prevent the bottle slipping out of the hood, as well as elimilnate breakage in the hands of the user, and

obstruct the pieces'of the neck that might fly out .injuriously beyond the hood. The plate 26 on thelbottom of the shank member I, rests against the cork to be removed.

l'llheiparticularform of thedeVice affords a very effective arrangement for removing the corks of liquor bottles. The cork is lifted into the belllike space of the hood and any tendency of the contents to spout is smothered therein. The handles afford a convenient hand-fitting arrangement and offer free and unobstructed movement to their rotation on the hood and against each other, and allow a stron hold to be had on same. This is much better than the finger manipulation provided in most-.devices'of this kind. The uniformly smooth tapered. exterior .of'the hood enables same to be tightly gripped by the user,

which assists in his control of the bottle and the device.

'While but one form of the invention is indicated inthe drawing and described in this application, it is not desired to limit this specification and'appli'cation to that particular form, or in any other way, otherwise than limited by the principles of this invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus "described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. A cork removerfor liquor bottles comprising an externally tapered "hood uniformly "diverging from the top to the lower portion and cylindrically hollowedout internally to provide "a belllikespace therein with a mouth portion extended therefrom partially bevelled-and enlarged to form another relatively short cylindrical shape adapted to encompass the mouth portion of a'bottle with the said bevelled portion contacting the surface thereo'ftoprovide a tight closure action thereon, a restricted screw threaded passageextending through the central middle area of .the top portionof the hood, a screw threaded'shank having an "external screw thread formed thereon arranged to coact'with the screw-threaded portion in said-passage and 'having'a cylindrical plate attachedto the bottom thereof and substantially spreadacross the transverse section of thebelllike space and being adapted to'limit the upward movement'of the shank towards the top, said shank having a longitudinal passage provided with a restricted portion at the upper end thereof, a cork-screw comprising a stem and helix passing freely through the shank, said helix extending downwardly from the stem and coaxially with theshank for insertionin a cork in a liquor bottle, the thread of the helix being in adirection opposite to the thread of the shank, a collar on the lower end of the stem .and slightly above the helix cooperating with said restricted portion to limit the upward movement of the.stem and helix, a transversely arranged handle connected with the said stem for turning same independently of the shank, another relativelylongtransversely arranged handle attached to the shank externally to the hood for manually operating the shank and disposed between'the first mentioned handle and the top of the hoodso that rotation of the first handle in one direction will cause the downward or advancing movement of the corkscrew into the cork and rotation of the second handle in'the same direction will cause the upward movement of the shank to withdraw the cork into the bell-like space while keeping the plate over the cork within the said spaceto prevent the contents of the bottle from splashing .eXter nally to the hood.

2. A cork remover for liquor bottles comprising an externally tapered hood uniformly diverging from the top to the lower portion and cylindrically hollowed out internally to provide a space therein and terminating at its lower portion in an enlarged mouth portion to encompass the mouth portion of a bottle to provide a tight closure action thereon, a restricted screw threaded passage extending through the central middle area of the top portion of the hood, a screw threaded shank having an external screw thread formed thereon arranged to coact with the screwthreaded portion in said passage and having a cylindrical element at the bottom thereof and substantially spread across the transverse section of said space and being adapted to limit the upward movement of the shank towards the top, said shank having a longitudinal passage provided with a restricted portion at the upper end thereof, a cork-screw comprising a stem and helix passing freely through the shank, said helix extending downwardly from the stem and coaxially with the shank for insertion in a cork in a bottle, a transversely arranged handle connected with the said stem for turning same independently of the shank, another relatively long transversely arranged handle attached to the shank externally of the hood for manually operatng the shank and disposed between the first mentioned handle and the top of the hood, the thread of the helix being in a direction opposite to the thread of the shank so that rotation of the first handle in one direction will cause the downward or advancing movement of the corkscrew into the cork and rotation of the second handle in the same direction will cause the upward movement of the shank to bring the two handles into abutment and to withdraw the cork into said space while keeping the element over the cork within said space.

JOHN HENRY MILLER. 

